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This summer, Daniel Reynolds ’08 (Randolph, N.J.) wanted to find an internship that combined his skills as an English major with his interest in human rights issues.
Reynolds is serving as a communications intern in the media relations department at Amnesty International in Washington, D.C. His responsibilities include monitoring printed media, compiling contact lists of major news sources, corresponding with reporters from major outlets, and coordinating interviews.
“As one of the forerunners of activism and human rights in the world today, Amnesty seemed the natural choice for me to explore the field and to determine if it was for me,” says Reynolds. “It has been absolutely thrilling to see the results of these assignments appearing in print and to know that I played a small part in the process.”
Reynolds has many opportunities to network with the 40 interns serving in the Washington, D.C. office. He also attends press conferences, concerts, and rallies. Recently, he has been volunteering to hand out flyers for a concert headlined by rap duo Dead Prez to stop torture. Interns also have weekly discussions addressing topics such as the death penalty and GuantanamoBay.
“Amnesty International has proven itself a dynamic and engaging workplace, and a great source of potential for networking and education,” Reynolds says.
Reynolds’ internship experience is being supported by the Neil D. Levin ’76 Public Service Endowment Fund and the Barbara Rothkopf internship endowment fund.
“When the committee honored me with these stipends, they also entrusted me to serve as a good example and to profit as much as I could from this wonderful experience,” he says. “Knowing how competitive the pool of candidates was this year has given me greater appreciation and determination to make the most of my time here. I feel very grateful and will do my best to fulfill and exceed my expectations.”
After graduation, Reynolds plans to pursue a graduate degree in English or work in the media. He believes his time with Amnesty International will play a key role in his decision.
“I hope to learn as much as possible about the relations among nations as well as the interaction among associates at a workplace,” he says. “At the very least, I hope to become more aware of the grave problems facing the world today and how a group can work toward finding solutions to them.”
Reynolds is a past recipient of the Gilbert Prize for superiority in English. He studied abroad this past spring in Grenoble, France. He is president of Questioning Established Sexual Taboos, a writing associate with the College Writing Program, member of Arts Society, and plays saxophone in the Pep Band. He also has contributed five poems to the Marquis literary magazine.